Today turned out to be the prefect day to visit Kingsbury Water Park in North Warwickshire where the weather in my opinion was absolutely ideal.
You couldn't go anywhere in the park today without hearing songbirds singing and what's not too like about that ? Personal favourites were, Willow Warbler, Whitehroat, Blackcap, Dunnock and a flock of c.20 Long Tailed Tit, just a shame most people don't appreciate song birds singing for what it is, one of nature's most wonderful gifts to us.
The Willow Warblers singing sounded like they were singing for the bird singing Olympics, they were giving it their all without stopping for breath, Whitethroat and Blackcap as you know have a wonderful song, the Dunnock's song is very underrated and even though Long Tailed Tits haven't got the best song the sheer volume of the noise had to be appreciated.
I don't normally go this far into a blog at this time of the year without mentioning juveniles so here goes, there were six Mallard Ducklings and ten juvenile Coot seen with one Mute Swan, three Canada Goose and one Coot observed on the nest.
Also great to see was the return of House Martin's as well as Little Egret and Common Tern, sadly the island where the Little Egret used to be located has been hacked down to almost a bare scrape so much so that I didn't see a single Little Egret on said island and the only one I saw was on the adjacent River Tame, I don't know why but I always love to see Common Tern maybe it's because they are great to watch when in flight.
Birds seen today were, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, House Sparrow, Dunnock, Wren, Robin, Starling, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Magpie, House Martin, Cormorant, Common Tern, Little Egret, Mute Swan, Great Crested Grebe, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Moorhen, Coot, Greylag Goose and Canada Goose.
The only downside was being told by a local that I'd just missed a sighting of a Muntjac Deer by mere seconds but on the positive side at least they are present at this location.
Finally in a location very close to the park but not in the park it was my great pleasure to observe Starlings taking food to their young in a great accidental site for nesting birds, they have done so there for many years, I shan't point out the location just in case I alert people who might not be so welcoming as I would be.
Nice to visit Shustoke Reservoir this morning with the weather being just about perfect for a nice spot of bird watching.
I didn't have to wait long either for the highlight of the day, namely that of twelve Mallard Ducklings which just happened to be my first of the year but as per usual they were scared away form the waters edge by two dogs because the owners couldn't be bothered to put them on a lead even though the signs clearly state so at the entrance that they must be kept on a lead at all times, congratulations to every dog walker I saw there this morning because mot one of you had your dogs on a lead.
Nice to hear many Skylark singing high above the farmers fields, as well as Mistle Thrush who could be observed singing everywhere I went today at this location and being as we are coming to/in the breeding season most songbirds could be heard singing especially in the many hedgerow around the fields as they have been cut back properly and not flailed to within an inch of their life.
It was also great to see the return of House Martin and Swallow with hundreds flying above the water which is always great to see.
Birds seen today were, Buzzard, Skylark, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Chiffchaff, House Sparrow, Dunnock, Wren, Robin, Mistle Thrush, Blackbird, Collared Dove, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Magpie, House Martin, Swallow, Pied Wagtail, Cormorant, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Great Crested Grebe, Wigeon, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Coot and Canada Goose.
Nice to pay Southfields Farm in Coleshill another visit today where even though it was chilly the sun was still out and there were mainly blue skies.
Highlight of the day was seeing a flock of c.10 of Yellowhammer fly into a tree, I know ten doesn't seem much of a flock but it is when it comes to Yellowhammers, there was also roughly another ten feeding on one of the tracks and about the same number in the adjoining hedgerow, also pleasing to hear, as they were both hard to actually see were countless numbers of Skylark and Chiffchaff, on the other end of the scale but still equally pleasing to see was a small flock of Stock Dove flying overhead.
I was actually not going to mention the high numbers of House Sparrow today but there are that many that I nearly drove over some on the entrance to the farm, that's literally how many are present, they are certainly vocal enough, it should be amazing when the juveniles arrive.
Birds seen today were, Buzzard, Skylark, Yellowhammer, Chiffchaff, House Sparrow, Dunnock, Wren, Robin, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Starling, Blackbird, Stock Dove, Woodpiegon, Raven, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Moorhen and Mallard.
